Label printing and applying apparatus

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed label printing and applying apparatus comprising a platen and cooperable printing means for printing successive pressure sensitive labels, a delaminator for delaminating the printed labels successively from the associated web of supporting material, and an applicator for applying for the printed delaminted labels to merchandise. The positional relationship of the delaminator relative to the platen and to the applicator can be quickly and easily varied by means of a resilient locking arrangement. Also disclosed are various embodiments of the applicator in the form of roll structure which is capable of yielding to conform to irregularities in the surface to which the label is applied.

Sept. 24, 1974 E. w. FINKE LABEL PRINTING AND APPLYING APPARATUS 5'Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1972 Sept. 24, 1974 LABEL PRINTING ANDAPPLYING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25; 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 65' 65 FIG-8 2/02/0 E. w. FINKE 3,887,966

Se t. 24, 1974 E. w. FINKE 3,337,965

LABEL PRINTiNG 'AND APPLYING APPARATUS" Filed Feb. 25, 1972 sSheets-:Sheet z United States Patent 3,837,966 LABEL PRINTING ANDAPPLYING APPARATUS Eugene W. Finke, Miamisburg, Ohio, assignor toMonarch Marking Systems, Inc., Dayton, Ohio Filed Feb. 25, 1972, Ser.No. 229,383 Int. Cl. B32b 35/00 US. Cl. 156-384 16 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed label printing and applying apparatuscomprising a platen and cooperable printing means for printingsuccessive pressure sensitive labels, a delaminator for delaminating theprinted labels successively from the associated web of supportingmaterial, and an applicator for applying the printed delaminated labelsto merchandise. The positional relationship of the delaminator relativeto the platen and to the applicator can be quickly and easily varied bymeans of a resilient locking arrangement. Also disclosed are variousembodiments of the applicator in the form of roll structure which iscapable of yielding to conform to irregularities in the surface to whichthe label is applied.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to the art of label printing and applying apparatus.

Brief Description of the Prior Art US. Pat. No. 3,440,123 to Paul H.Hamisch, Sr. discloses one form of apparatus to which the invention canbe applied; this patent discloses a platen, a print head cooperable withthe platen, an applicator mounted by the platen, and a screw by whichthe delaminator can be secured in a selected positional relationshipwith respect to both the platen and the applicator. US. Pat. No. 3,619,-324 to Yo Sato et al. discloses various embodiments of roll-typeapplicators and US. Pat. No. 3,350,091 to E. E. Masterson et al.discloses roll structure employing a plurality of separate discs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvementover US. Pat. No. 3,440,123. The invention is shown to be applied toapparatus which dispenses a label and which both prints on successivelabels and applies the labels to a desired surface such as tomerchandise. However, the invention is useful in an arrangement in whichlabels are successively printed and dispensed without the step ofapplying them to any surface, and the invention is also useful in anarrangement in which labels are dispensed and applied to a surfacewithout any printing step. The invention comprises an arrangement bywhich the positional relationship of a delaminator can be readilychanged relative to a platen and to an applicator by use of aresiliently mounted locking member. In accordance with one specificembodiment a flexible resilient arm is connected to the platen. Atoothed member preferably having two teeth is disposed at the free endof the arm. Any suitable applicator is mounted by the platen downstreamof a delaminator. The delaminator is mounted by a plate downstream ofthe platen. The plate has a plurality of closely spaced apart teeth. Theteeth on the arm are cooperable with teeth on the plate. Flexure of thearm enables the plate and the delaminator to be moved to enable theteeth on the arm to be engaged with teeth at a different position on theplate. The applicator is illustrated as being in the form of a rollwhich is mounted to the side edges of the platen by a pair of mountingarms. The mounting 3,837,966 Patented Sept. 24, 1974 arms are flexibleand resilient and have opposed guide tracks. The arms can be sprungapart to receive opposed guided members or projections which are joinedintegrally to the plate. The platen, the mounting arms, and the armwhich carries the toothed member is of one-piece molded plasticconstruction and the plate and the guided members are of one-piecemolded construction. Accordingly, there is provided a low-costarrangement, an ease of as sembly and features not taught in US. Pat.No. 3,440,- 123. The invention also comprises various embodiments of aroll-type applicator which is able to yield to conform to irregularsurfaces as the label is applied, and yet which is simple inconstruction, has relatively few parts, and provides adequate frictionalcontract to roll over the label as it is being applied.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view oflabel printing and applying apparatus, shown partly by phantom lines;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an improved arrangement formounting an applicator, a delaminator, and a platen in accordance withthe invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevational view through the mountingarrangement showing the delaminator in one position relative to theapplicator and to the platen;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the applicator and thedelaminator in another position relative to the applicator and theplaten;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view taken generally along the line 55 of FIG.1, but on a larger scale;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 66 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the applicator shown in FIGS. 1through 5 showing a label being adhered to a convex surface;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 8, but omitting the bearingand the other mounting structure, showing a label being applied to acorner of an object;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment of theapplicator applying a label to a convex object;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken generally along line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view of another alternativeembodiment of the applicator;

FIG. 13 is a partly sectional view of another embodiment of theapplicator; and

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 13.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to FIG. 1, thereis shown, mainly by phantom lines, a label printing and applyingaparatus generally indicated at 1H. The apparatus 1H is the same as theapparatus disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3.440,123 of Paul H. Hamisch, Sr. inconstruction, function, and relative location of components, except aswill hereinafter be described; reference can be made to this patent, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The referencecharacters in the present application which are common to the referencecharacters in Pat. No. 3,440,123 include a sufiix H.

The apparatus 1H uses a roll 20H which comprises pressure sensitivelabels 21H carried by a web in the form of a backing strip or supportingmaterial 22H. The apparatus 1H is adapted to be held in the users hand.The handle 8H is held against the users palm and can be squeezed tocause the lever 24H to move toward the handle 8H. The lever 24H ispivotally mounted on a pivot 35H. As the lever 24H is squeezed, printhead 39H is moved toward a platen 200. As the manual squeezing force onthe lever 24H is released, the print head 39H returns to its initialposition shown in IFIG. 1 and the web of supporting material 22H isadvanced by the action of a drive wheel 77H in cooperation with an idlerwheel 106H. The drive wheel 77H rotates counterclockwise (FIG. 1) andthe web 22H is advanced by a distance equal to the length of one of thelabels 21H; and consequently the leading marginal end of the advancedlabel is brought into underlying relationship relative to an applicatoror pressure means 201. The leading label 21H is now substantiallyentirely delaminated from the web by a delaminator 132H shown to be inthe form of a very small diameter roller; the trailing marginal edge ofthe leading label remains adhered to the web of supporting material 22H.As the label 21H is relative stiff, it does not follow the supportingmaterial but rather extends as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. When theleading label 21H is ready to be applied, the applicator 201 is used toexert light pressure against the label to facilitate adherence of thelabel to the surface.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 5, the platen 200 is mounted by theaparatus 1H in the same position as the platen 171 in Pat. N0.3,440,123. The print head 39H is shown to include two sets of printingbands 53H. 'Each printing band 53H has a plurality of printing membersor blocks 54H for printing selected data. The printing bands 53H aresettable so that selected data are printed on labels which aresuccessively presented between the print head 39H and the platen 200. Apair of parallel spacedapart arms 202 and 203 are connected to sideedges of the platen 200. The arms 202 and 203 have threaded holes 204and 205. Screws 206, threadably received in holes 204 and 205, securethe arms 202 and 203 to the side plates 65H and 66H.

The applicator 201 is preferably of the roll-type, although other formsof applicators such as of the presser foot type can be used. Theapplicator 201 comprises a hub 207 which is shown to be tubular inconstruction. A bearing or shaft 209 extends through the hub 207. Screws210 extend through holes 211 and 212 in respective arms 202 and 203 andare threadably received in threaded holes 213 at the ends of the bearing209. The applicator 201 is freely rotatable about the bearing 209.

The delaminator 132H is shown to comprise a circular cylindrical rod orroller which is rotatably mounted at its marginal ends in holes 214 and215 in spaced-apart bearings 216 and 217. The delaminator can insteadtake the form of a stripper bar, peel edge or the like, if desired. Thebearings 216 and 217 are joined integrally to one end of a generallyT-shaped plate 218. The plate 218 is shown to be received in a guidegroove 219 formed on the underside of the platen 200 by projections 220and 221.

The arms 202 and 203 are provided respectively with guide tracks 222 and223. A pair of outwardly extending guided members or projections 224 and225, joined to the end of the plate 218, are received by the respectiveguide tracks 222 and 223. The arms 202 and 203 (or at least one of them)are sufliciently flexible and resilient to be spread apart duringassembly to enable the guided members 224 and 225 to enter the guidetracks 222 and 223.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the underside of the end portion of the plate218 comprises a toothed member 226 having a plurality of closelyspaced-apart parallel teeth 227. A flexible resilient member or arm 228is integrally joined to one end of the platen 200 (FIG. 3). The arm 228mounts a toothed member 229 at its free end. The toothed member 229comprises preferably two parallel closely spaced-apart teeth 230 (FIG.7) having the same pitch as the teeth 227 of the toothed member 226. Theend of the member 228 is provided with an extension 231 which isengageable by the users fingernail to flex the arm 228 so that its teeth230 can be moved to a position clear of the teeth 227. As soon as theprojection 231 is released, the arm 228 returns to its normal positionas shown, for ex- 4 ample, in FIG. 3. The flexible resilient arm 228also holds the plate 218 against the underside of the platen 200.

In use, the positional relationship of the delaminator 132H relative tothe applicator 201 and also relative to the platen 200 can be quicklyand easily varied. Such a change of the positional relationship of thedelaminator 132H is desirable, for example, if the apparatus 1H is toprint and apply different length labels. A change of the positionalrelationship of the delaminator 132H is also desirable in the event itis also desired to change the width of the trailing marginal end of thelabel which is still adhered to the supporting material 22H uponcompletion of the label feeding movement of the apparatus 1H.

Assume that the delaminator 132H is to be moved from the position shownin FIG. 3 to the position shovm in FIG. 4. As the teeth 227 formed onthe plate 128, 218 slope to the right (FIGS. 3 and 4) and as the teeth230 formed on the arm 228 slope to the left (FIGS. 3 and 4), thedelaminator 132H and the plate 218 can be shifted generally to the leftas viewed in FIG. 4 by engaging a fingernail with the delaminator 132Hand by urging the delaminator 132H generally to the left. This willcause the teeth 227 to ride over the teeth 230. Once the delaminator132H and its associated plate 218 have reached the position shown in'FIG. 4, they are locked in position by the teeth 227 and 230 ofrespective locking members 226 and 229. As the supporting material 22His drawn around the delaminator 132H during rotation of wheels 77H and106H, cooperating teeth 227 and 230 prevent the delaminator 232H and itsplate 218 from shifting (generally to the right as viewed in FIG. 4) outof the selected position. Assuming now that it is desired to shift thedelaminator 132H and its associated plate 218 from the position shown inFIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 3, the user engages his fingernailwith the extension 231 and the arm 228 is caused to be flexed so thatthe teeth 230 clear the teeth 227. Then by pushing the delaminator 132Hgenerally to the right from the portion shown in FIG. 3 to the positionshown in FIG. 4, the delaminator 132H is brought to the selectedpositional relationship with respect to the applicator 201 and theplaten 200. Thereupon, the extension 231 can be released, and the arm228 deflects resiliently to again bring the teeth 230 into lockingengagement with the teeth 227.

With reference to FIG. 5, the plate 218 is shown to have stop faces 218'which abut the stop faces 220' and 221' when the plate 218 is in thefully rearward position shown in FIG. 3; in this position the two teeth230 are engaged with the two endmost teeth at one end of the toothedmember 226. In the fully forward position, stop faces 224 and 225' ofrespective projections 224 and 225 abut ends 222' and 223 of respectivetracks 222 and 223, so that the other two endmost teeth of the other endof the toothed member 226 can be engaged. It is preferred that the teeth227 and 230 be small and that two teeth 230 are always in engagementwith two teeth 227 during use of the apparatus 1H. In one specificembodiment the teeth 227 and 228 have a pitch of about thirty-six teethper inch.

The platen 200, the mounting arms 202 and 203, and the arm 228 aremolded of one piece of plastic material and likewise the plate 218, thebearings 216 and 217, and the guided members 224 and 225 which arejoined integrally to the plate 218 are molded of one piece of plasticmaterial. It is apparent that there is provided an assembly whichprovides a platen and mounting structure for an applicator and adelaminator which is relatively economical to manufacture and easy toassemble and adjust.

With references to FIG. 8, the one-piece roll 208 of the applicator 201is shown to comprise spaced-apart, parallel, flexible, resilient,annular discs or disc portions 232. The discs or disc portions 232 arejoined at their roots by a hub portion 233. Each disc 232 is provided atits periphery with small projections 232' which provide only a smallarea of contact between the applicator 201 and the label 21H. The roll208 is illustrated as being molded directly onto the hub 207. By way ofspecific example, not limitation, the bearing 209 is composed of steel,the hub 207 can be constructed of material such as brass and the roll208 is composed of a frictional material such as rubber or polyurethanewhich adheres well to brass. Accordingly, no auxiliary adhesives orother keying means is required to secure the roll 208 to the hub 207.The bearing or shaft 209 is shown to rotatably mount the hub 207. Thescrews 210 are shown to extend through holes 65' and 66 in parallelstructural side plates 651-1 and 66H and through holes 211 and 212 inrespective arms 202 and 203 and are threadably received in threadedbores 213 in the bearing 209. As shown in FIG. 8, the discs 232 readilyflex to allow the label 21H to be pressed against a convex surface S.With reference to FIG. 9, the applicator 201 is shown to be applying alabel 21H to a corner of a surface S1.

With reference to the embodiment of FIGS. through 11, an applicatorgenerally indicated at 235 is shown to comprise a roll 236 and adeflectable member 239. The roll 236 comprises spaced-apart, parallel,flexible, resilient, annual discs or disc portions 237 joined to a hubportion 238. Each disc 237 is provided at its periphery with smallprojections 237' which provided only a small area of contact between theapplicator 235 and the label 21H. The deflectable member 239, which isshown to comprise a helical spring 239', serves as a hub for the roll236. The applictor 235 can be formed by placing the spring whichcomprises the deflectable member 239 onto a mandrel (not shown) andthereafter molding flexible resilient moldable material about the spring239 and into the space between its coils as best shown in FIG. 10. Apair of opposed bearings 240 and 241 are shown to be radiused asindicated at 242 and 243 so that, as is preferred, the entire length ofthe roll 235 can deflect so as to facilitate application of a label 21Hto an irregular surface.

With reference to the embodiment of FIG. 12, there is illustrated anapplicator generally indicated at 244 which is identical to theapplicator 235, except that its roll 247 is first molded and thereaftera deflectable member 245, in the form of a helical spring 245', isinserted into the axial hole 246 in the roll 247. Accordingly, in thisembodiment there is no material between the coils of the spring 245' asin the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11.

Referring to the embodiments of FIGS. 13 and 14, an applictor 250 isshown to comprise a hub or hub portion 251 having a plurality ofspaced-apart, parallel, flexible, resilient, annular discs or discportions 252. Each disc portion 252 is provided at its periphery with aplurality of small projections 252'. The roll 251 is of one-piece moldedconstruction. Bearings 254 and 255, shown to have a cup-shapedconstruction, are mounted by opposed marginal ends of the hub portion251. The bearings 254 and 255 are received in respective annularrecesses 256 and 257 which are coaxial with respect to the hub portion251. Bearing screws 258 and 259 are threadably received by threadedholes 211' and 212 in mounting arms 202 and 203. Annular stub ends 260and 261 of the bearing screws 258 and 259 are received in the bearings254 and 255. The applictor 250 is freely rotatable about stub ends 260and 261 and yet is flexible and resilient enough to conform toirregularities on the surface to which the label is applied. Not onlyare the discs 252 capable of flexing independently, but the hub 251itself is a deflectable member which can deflect while the label isbeing applied to the irregular surface. If desired, the hub portion 251can be cored out by, for example, an axial hole extending from end toend so as to both save material and to render the hub portion 251 moreflexible.

It is apparent that the applicators 201, 235, 244 and 250 are alsodeflectable to conform to concave and warped surfaces in addition toconvex surfaces. The rolls 208, 236, 247, and 251 of respectiveapplicators 201, 235, 244 and 250 are composed of material such aspolyurethane or rubber having a relatively high coefficient of frictionto enable the applicators to rotate as the label is being applied.

Other embodiments and modifications of this invention will suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art, and all such of these as comewithin the spirit of this invention are included within its scope asbest defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for printing and applying pressure sensitive labels, thelabels being carried on a web of supporting material, the apparatuscomprising: a platen, printing means cooperable with the platen, aflexible resilient arm carried by the platen, a tooth disposed at thefree end of the arm, an applicator mounted by the platen, delaminatingmeans, and a plate mounting the delaminating means upstream of theapplicator, the plate having a plurality of closely spaced apart teeth,the tooth on the arm being cooperable with a tooth on the plate, fiexureof the harm enabling the plate and the delaminating means to be moved toenable the tooth on the arm to be engaged with a different tooth on theplate.

2. Apparatus for printing and dispensing pressure sensitive labels, thelabels being carried on a web of supporting material, the apparatuscomprising: a platen, printing means cooperable with the platen, aflexible resilient arm carried by the platen, a tooth disposed at thefree end of the arm, delaminating means, and a plate mounting thedelaminating means downstream of the platen, the plate having aplurality of spaced apart teeth, the tooth on the arm being cooperablewith a tooth on the plate, flexure of the arm enabling the plate and thedelaminating means to be moved to enable the tooth on the arm to beengaged with a different tooth on the plate.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the teeth are shaped so that(a) the arm must be flexed to enable its tooth to clear the teeth on theplate when the delaminating means is moved away from the applicator, and

(b) the tooth on the arm can ride over the teeth on the plate when thedelaminating means is moved toward the applicator.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, including a manually engageableextension to facilitate movement of the toothed member out of engagementwith the other toothed memher.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the platen and the arm andits tooth are constructed of one piece of plastic material.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the platen and the arm andits tooth are constructed of plastic material, and the plate is mountedin underlying relationship to the platen and is constructed of plasticmaterial.

7. Apparatus for applying pressure sensitive labels, the labels beingcarried on a web of supporting material, the apparatus comprising: meansfor delaminating one label at a time from the supporting material, anapplicator disposed downstream of the delaminating means, means mountingthe delaminating means and the applicator for selected relativemovement, and means for releasably locking the delaminating means andthe applicator relative to each other in a preselected position, thelocking means including cooperable first and second toothed lockingmembers movable relative to each other into and out of lockingengagement to enable the relative positional relationship of thedelaminating means and the applicator to be varied.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the first locking membercomprises a plurality of teeth carried by the mounting means and thesecond locking member comprises a tooth resiliently urged into lockingengagement with a tooth of the first locking member.

9. Apparatus for applying pressure sensitive labels, the labels beingcarried on a web of supporting material, the apparatus comprising: meansfor delaminating one label at a time from the web, an applicatordisposed downstream of the delaminating means, and cooperating toothedmembers carrying respectively the delaminating means and the applicatorfor selectively enabling the relative positional relationship of thedelaminating means and the applicator relative to be varied, and meansresiliently urg-' ing one toothed member into engagement with the othertoothed member.

"10. Apparatus for applying pressure sensitive labels, the labels beingcarried on a web of supporting material, the apparatus comprising: meansfor delaminating one label at a time from the supporting material, anapplicator disposed downstream of the delaminating means, means mountingthe delaminating means and the applicator for selected relativemovement, and means including a resiliently mounted toothed lockingmember for locking the delaminating means and the applicator in aselected positional relationship with respect to each other.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, the mounting means comprising aplaten, means connected to the platen for mounting the applicatordownstream of the platen, and a plate for mounting the delaminatingmeans; a print head cooperable with the platen; and the locking meansfurther comprising a plurality of teeth on the plate, the resilientlymounted toothed locking member being resiliently connected to the platenand having a tooth engageable with a tooth of the plate.

12. Apparatus for printing and dispensing pressure sensitive labels, thelabels being carried on a web of supporting material, the apparatuscomprising: a platen, a print head cooperable with the platen, means fordelaminating one label at a time from the supporting material, meansmounting the delaminating means for selected movement relative to theplaten, and means for releasably locking the mounting means to theplaten in a preselected position, the locking means including cooperablefirst and second toothed locking members movable relative to each otherinto and out of locking engagement to enable the relative positionalrelationship of the delaminating means and the platen to be varied.

13. Apparatus for printing and dispensing pressure sensitive labels, thelabels being supported on a web of supporting material, the apparatuscomprising: a platen, a print head cooperable with the platen, meansdisposed downstream of the platen for delaminating one label at a timefrom the web, and cooperating toothed members connected respectively tothe delaminating means and to the platen for selectively enabling therelative positional relationship of the platen and the delaminatingmeans to be varied, and means resiliently urging one toothed member intoengagement with the other toothed member.

14. Apparatus for printing and dispensing pressure sensitive labels, thelabels being carried on a web of supporting material: a platen, a printhead cooperable with the platen, means disposed downstream of the platenfor delaminating one label at a time from the supporting material, meansmounting the platen and the delaminating means for selected relativemovement, and means including a resiliently mounted toothed lockingmember for locking the delaminating means and the applicator in aselected positional relationship with respect to each other:

15. Apparatus f or applying pressure sensitive labels, the labels beingcarried on a Web of supporting material, the apparatus comprising: meansfor delaminating one label at a time from the supporting material, anapplicator disposed downstream of the delaminating means, and meansmounting the delaminating means and the applicator for selected relativemovement; the mounting means including a pair of arms carrying theapplicator, a pair of guide tracks in the arms and cooperating meansguided by the tracks for movably mounting the delaminating means to thearms.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 15, at least one of the arms beingcomposed of a flexible resilient material to enable the guided means tobe snapped into cooperation with the guide tracks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,440,123 4/1969 Hamisch 1563843,741,847 6/1973 Sato 1563'84 3,461,018 8/1969 Nagaschima 156-384DOUGLAS I. DRUMMOND, Primary Examiner C. WESTON, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R. 156-541, 584

Patent Nmf 3,837,966 Dated September 24, 1974 inventor) Eugene W. FinkeIt is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 16, "12.8," should be omitted. 7 Column 5, line 61,"applicator"? is misspelled. Column 6, line 14, "disposed" ismisspelled; line 20, "harm" should be- --a r'm--,.

Signed end sealed this 17th day of Decembet 1974.

Attest: Y H v McCOY M. GIBSON JR.v c. MARSHALL DANN' Attesting Officer:v Commissioner of Patents FORM Po-1oso (10-69) 1 Q v uscoMM D: eosn pu vs us. sovnuuuntmnnua ol rlcn nu 0 -30-334

